Jeff Monson
| birth_place = St. Paul, Minnesota | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | residence = | nationality = American | height = | weight = | weightclass = 265 | reach = | style = Submission Wrestling, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Grappling | stance = | fightingoutof= | team = American Top Team | rank = NCAA Division I Wrestling black belt in BJJ | yearsactive = | boxingwins = 2 | boxingkowins = 2 | boxinglosses = 0 | boxingkolosses = | boxingdraws = 1 | boxingncs = | mmawins = 33 | mmakowins = 2 | mmasubwins = 21 | mmadecwins = | mmalosses = 9 | mmakolosses = | mmasublosses = | mmadeclosses = | mmadraws = 0 | mmancs = | occupation = | university = Oregon State University | spouse = | relatives = | students = | club = | school = | url = | boxrec = 249847 | sherdog = 262 | footnotes = | updated = }} Jeffrey Monson (born January 18, 1971) is an American mixed martial arts fighter from Olympia, Washington. He is affiliated with American Top Team which is based in Coconut Creek, Florida. Biography Monson was a Division I wrestler at Oregon State University and at the University of Illinois, and was a Pac-10 champion.http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2009/07/23/jeff-monson-im-the-guy-to-beat-fedor/ He also competed at senior level at USA Wrestling events for a number of years. Monson is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Champion. He is a mixed martial arts fighter and has had three professional boxing bouts. His professional boxing record is two wins and one draw. Monson is considered to be one of the world's top submission grapplers. He is a multiple event winner at NAGA, Grapplers Quest and FILA, among other submission tournaments. He is nicknamed "The Snowman" for his performance at the 1999 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship. The Brazilian fighters at the tournament gave him the nickname because he came in as an unknown, but beat four Brazilians in a row to win the 88-98 kilogram weight class. As he went along in the tournament and continued to beat his opponents, they said he was like a snowball (white, compact, rolling and getting bigger and stronger as the tournament went on). Monson is known for his anarchist views and affiliations. In an interview, he explained, "I am an anarchist, someone who would like to do away with all class hierarchy in society and the institutions that promote this inequality." He correspondingly receives sponsorship from AK Press and has several anarchist symbols tattooed on his body. In solidarity, Monson is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies). Monson has a Bachelor's degree and a Master's Degree in psychology. For a few years he worked as a mental health professional, both in a crisis evaluation role as well as a child/family counselor. He has had such major success in Abu Dhabi and other MMA shows that he left the mental health profession to devote himself full time to mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts career After 14 straight victories Monson returned to the UFC. At UFC 57 Monson submitted Branden Lee Hinkle by North South Choke in the first round. At UFC 59 Monson fought his long time hated rival ADCC veteran and Jiu Jitsu black belt Marcio Cruz, Monson won by decision after 3 rounds. At UFC 61 Monson fought BJJ black belt Anthony Perosh, Monson won by TKO in the first round. On November 18, 2006 at UFC 65, Monson fought Tim Sylvia for the UFC heavyweight championship. Monson lost a five round decision and would later ask to be relinquished from his UFC contract in hopes of facing PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko at a BodogFIGHT scheduled for March 2007. However, negotiations fell through and the match never happened. At PRIDE 34, on April 8, 2007, Monson defeated Kazuyuki Fujita by rear naked choke at 6:37 of the opening round. His next fight was scheduled to be against Chris Guillen on August 17, 2007 for the Global Fighting Championships' heavyweight title, but the event was canceled after four of the eight scheduled bouts were removed from the card. He lost the fight against Pedro Rizzo at Art of War 3 which was held on September 1, 2007. During the bout, Monson displayed a much improved level of striking, and kept the fight standing virtually the entire time. On September 7, 2007, Monson won a total of two matches in the FILA World Championship in Turkey, defeating France's Zoro Piere and Great Britain's Tom Blackledge with submissions. Monson was awarded the 275-pound gold medal when his final opponent Ramon Diaz suffered an injury and was forced to bow out. Jeff Monson defeated Ricco Rodriguez in the main event of Mixed Fighting Alliance "There Will Be Blood" event on December 13, 2008. He avenged a loss to Rodriguez from almost 7 years prior. On March 21, 2009, Jeff won a controversial decision against "Big Country" Roy Nelson on Roy Jones Jr.'s hybrid boxing/MMA card "March Badness". He then beat Sergej Maslobojev on a Cage Wars card on On March 29, 2009. Jeff immediately went to Japan and beat top Russian Heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov on April 5, 2009 at Dream 8, giving him 3 wins within two weeks. On September 12, 2009 at Bitetti Combat MMA 4, Monson had his seven fight win streak snapped, losing to Pedro Rizzo by unanimous decision. Personal life Monson and his wife have two children, Joshua and Michaela.He's been wrestling for more than half his life, has endured recovery from two bicep tears earlier this decade and is ready to leave the training grind behind to spend more time with his kids, Joshua and Michaela. On January 14, 2009, Monson was charged with First Degree Malicious Mischief, for vandalizing the Washington State Capitol by spray-painting "an anarchy symbol, a peace symbol and the words 'no poverty' and 'no war'"Associated Press-Martial artist accused of defacing Wash. Capitol on the large columns at the front of the building. A warrant was issued by a Thurston County Superior Court Judge after pictures of Monson committing the crime were printed in ESPN magazine. On July 29, 2009 Monson pleaded guilty to malicious mischief and entered an Alford plea for graffiti. In October 2009, he was sentenced to 90 days of work release and ordered to pay $21,894 in restitution. Grappling credentials ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships: ADCC 2009 99+kg: 3rd Place ADCC 2005 99+kg: 1st Place ADCC 2003 99+kg: Quarter Finals ADCC 2001 99+kg: 2nd place ADCC 2000 88–98 kg: 2nd place Openweight: Quarter Finals, but unable to continue. CBJJ No-Gi World Championships: 2007 Black Belt SuperSuperHeavy: 2nd Place Black Belt Open Weight: 1st Place Misc. 2007 World Grappling Championships 125 kg: gold medal (1st place) 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials - 275+ Division 1st place. 2007 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials - 275+ Division 1st place. 2007 Budweiser World Jiu-Jitsu Championships - Pro no-gi 1st place. 2006 Budweiser World Jiu-Jitsu Championships - Pro no-gi 1st place. 2004 Budweiser World Jiu-Jitsu Championships - Pro no-gi 1st place. Mixed martial arts record See also *List of male mixed martial artists References External links * * * Jeff Monson's official site Category:1971 births Category:People from Saint Paul, Minnesota Category:American anarchists Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists from Minnesota Category:Industrial Workers of the World members Category:Living people Category:Oregon State Beavers wrestlers Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:University of Minnesota Duluth alumni fr:Jeff Monson ja:ジェフ・モンソン